Can someone please help me identify a large cob/roller that I picked up
at a central Ohio dealer?  My guess would be for some mechanical musical
instrument such as an organ, but I don't have a clue beyond that!

Here's a description:

Large, heavy, hollow wooden spindle 21.5 inches long, 3.75 inches outside
diameter, 2 inches inside diameter, with steel keyed inserts/collars set
into each end and wood-screwed in place.  It is covered with  numerous
steel pins approximately 10 per inch, appearing to spiral around the
circumference, (just like a small Gem roller organ).

The pins are approximately 1/16 inch wide and range from 3/32- to 3/4-
inches long (in the direction of the circumference).  1-3/4 inches on
each end appears to have had some sort of collar over it at one time, and
is bare except for two small round alignment pins on one end.

The wood appears to have been painted with a pattern on a light back-
ground, randomly mimicking the shapes of the pins. There is a faint line
around the circumference exactly in the middle.

The markings, on the same end as the alignment pins, are as follows:

  Three lines in black, mostly illegible, but looks like "?C?K????" on
  the first line, "ON MA ??" on the second, and "No. 7" on the third.

  A large stamped "X" with "842" on the next line.

  At the alignment pins are 6 circles, the first offset and "3" through
  "6" labeled, with one alignment pin in the first circle, and the other
  pin in the circle marked "5".

Might these represent six tunes?

I'd be interested in corresponding with anyone who might have _any_ in-
formation about this.  My initial questions are "What kind of instrument
was it used in?   What company/maker and date?"  It may be possible for
me to e-mail pictures to anyone who is interested, and I'll be glad to
share any information which would be of any benefit to others.

Todd Augsburger,¶
Kenton, OH